This post piggybacks on the Phoenix at Statehood column from this past year. This time the emphasis is on photography, most from the Library of Congress and the McCulloch Brothers collection at the ASU Archives. Click in the image for a larger view. Enjoy.
Washington and Center streets in 1872. The town wasn't even incorporated until nine years later. Note the abundance of shade trees even at this early stage.
Before the arrival of the railroads, mule teams hauled freight to and from Phoenix — in this case headed for "the mines." This is the 1880s at Jefferson and Second Street (Maricopa Street).
Another view of mule teams hauling freight along Jefferson Street in the 1880s.
First Avenue and Adams (Cortes Street) in the 1890s. The 1889 Fleming Building is recognizable at right. Today the boxy Wells Fargo tower stands there.
First Street and Monroe (Montezuma Street) in the 1890s, looking northeast along Melinda's Alley. Today this is where the Chase Tower (Valley Center) parking garage is located. Almost all the alleys in the original township had names.
Adams Street looking toward Center Street in the 1890s, the location of Hanny's today.
Construction of the Territorial Capitol building in 1889, the year the capital was moved permanently to Phoenix from Tucson and Prescott. The new state never found the means to build a more impressive building after 1912.
An 1889 rendering of the capitol.
It's 1899 and the "Chinese Division" is on parade.
Central and Washington streets looking south in the 1905, with First National Bank of Arizona on the southeast corner.
Installing water and sewer lines on Center Street. Phoenix's population topped 5,500 in 1900.
The Gray mansion at Seventh (Apache) Street and Mohave Street in the 1890s.
The Golden Eagle livery and stable at Washington and Second (Maricopa) Street, 1890s.
Some dandies outside Green the Hatter's shop at Washington and First (Cortez) Avenue, 1890s.
This grainy image is of the first train arriving in Phoenix, 1896. It wasn't until 1926 that the city's isolation was ended with the completion of the Southern Pacific's Northern Main Line.
It's 1896, and this view shows the abundance of shade trees in town — not a palo verde in sight.
An ostrich farm outside town (Brad Hall collection).
"Millionaire's Row" along Monroe Street included the Jacobs and J.T. Dennis houses in the 1890s.
Redewill's music shop on Washington. When I returned to Phoenix in 2000, we purchased the A.C. Redewill House in what is now Willo, and purchased a National Register of Historic Places plaque for the front of the home.
Center Street Bridge was the first non-railroad bridge to cross the Salt River. The 2,120-foot span was said to the longest reinforced concrete bridge in the world.
It's 1903 and a streetcar and buggy rumble past the Maricopa County Courthouse, First Avenue and Washington.
It's 1904, the top of the courthouse offers this view looking east.
A year later, here's Adams Street and Second Avenue looking toward the Hotel Adams.
In 1910, the grand Adams was consumed in the young city's most spectacular fire. It was replaced by a steel-and-concrete "fireproof" structure that lasted until the 1970s.
Two years before the fire, here's a high-resolution view of the hotel and its neighbors.
Dwight Heard's real-estate office in 1908. Heard, who died in 1929, was Phoenix's leading civic steward. Among his enterprises was the Arizona Republican newspaper. His wife, Maie Bartlett Heard founded the Heard Museum and donated the land at Central and McDowell for the 1950 Phoenix Civic Center (library, theater and art museum), today the site of the Phoenix Art Museum.
Transportation downtown in 1903.
One of the haciendas that lined Center (Central) in 1910. Surrounded by shade trees and hedges, these were commonplace for decades, a few surviving north of Bethany Home.
The gazebo outside City Hall on Washington Street. A concrete sidewalk is in place, but the street still isn't paved. This is the block where the new Fry's-anchored mixed-use development has been constructed.
Dr. James Swetnam purchased the first automobile in Phoenix from the Winton Motor Carriage Co. of Cleveland. The year is 1902.
The 1902 flood collapsed the Southern Pacific Railroad bridge. The Center Street span was built a new years later, followed by Tempe's Ash Street Bridge.
President William McKinley visited the capital of Arizona Territory in May 1901. Only a few months later, he would be mortally wounded by an assassin in Buffalo. As the crowd set upon the man, this gallant Civil War veteran called, "Don't hurt him."
President William Howard Taft visited Phoenix in 1909, coming by train and then touring the town in an automobile. This is going past Melinda's Alley.
His predecessor, Theodore Roosevelt, doffs his hat at the Heard home two years later. TR (now preferring being called "Colonel Roosevelt) was here for the dedication of the dam that bears his name and gave the Salt River Valley a secure water supply.
Busy Washington and First Street in 1905.
RELATED: More Early Phoenix 3.
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My book, A Brief History of Phoenix, is available to buy or order at your local independent bookstore, or from Amazon.
Read more Phoenix history in Rogue's Phoenix 101 archive.
Great?! Now we’re going to hear about cal’s and Ramjet’s high jinks from the late 1800’s.
(8-)
I happen to know that Cal was a member of the crew that laid the first block of what was to become Roosevelt Dam.
Them’s is fightin’words Joe. He’s probably dusting off his old sap as we speak.
Helen and Joe, look closely at left portion of photo six.
Cute, very cute, Cal – but you’re not THAT old. Hang in there, buddy, the best is yet to come.
Thx kid but Moses aint got nuttin on me.
And i still think my best years were
1950 to 1982.
Well its 1600 and the birds are here for a drink.
Another great Summer in the Great Sonoran Desert Paradise
Mas tarde.
Thanks for the pix. Although I didn’t come here until January of 1966 I love to look at the old pix of Az..
Too late to go to the PIX theater in the Slope. The Christians shut it down in the 50’s.
Cool pix of the PIX at Rogue Columnist
#tbt the Town’ of Sunnyslope.
https://roguecolumnist.com/2015/06/tbt-the-town-of-sunnyslope/
Summer solstice is upon us. Know how I know? The whole state is on fire.
One thing about the Arizona of the 1800’s. The US forest service hadn’t screwed up our forests with their misguided ways.
Too late now.
No need for cigarettes in Payson. Just breath in that heavy smoke.
Morecleanair would have been happy about the reduced auto emissions during covid , however he would have been sad about the fire smoke that he probably would have been able to see from his Fountain Hills home.
Thanks for the interesting Phoenix history. I lived in Phoenix between 1945 and 1960, now spend winters here and will probably end my days here. My dad’s family was here from about 1912. I’ve done extensive family history research so always enjoy seeing what my ancestors experienced.